Various laboratory processes, such as those performed in genomic research, are largely performed by hand and/or with substantial human intervention at points in the process. Thus, performing such research can be time-consuming, labor-intensive and relatively low volume. Moreover, the required human intervention in semi-automated processes or manually-performed operations increases the likelihood that materials used in the process will become contaminated or that processes are not repeatable, e.g., will be performed in different ways during different tests.